Waiting impulsivity: The influence of acute methylphenidate and feedback

Valerie Voon, Yee Chien Chang-Webb, Laurel S. Morris, Ella Cooper, Arjun Sethi, Kwangyeol Baek, Jon Grant, Trevor W. Robbins, Neil A. Harrison

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The ability to wait and to weigh evidence is critical to behavioral regulation. These behaviors are known as waiting and reflection impulsivity. In Study 1, we examined the effects of methylphenidate, a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, on waiting and reflection impulsivity in healthy young individuals. In study 2, we assessed the role of learning from feedback in disorders of addiction. Methods: We used the recently developed 4-Choice Serial Reaction Time task and the Beads task. Twenty-eight healthy volunteers were tested twice in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with 20 mg methylphenidate. In the second study, we analyzed premature responses as a function of prior feedback in disorders of addiction. Results: Study 1: Methylphenidate was associated with greater waiting impulsivity to a cue predicting reward along with faster responding to target onset without a generalized effect on reaction time or attention. Methylphenidate influenced reflection impulsivity based on baseline impulsivity. Study 2: More premature responses occurred after premature responses in stimulant-dependent subjects. Conclusions: We show that methylphenidate has dissociable effects on waiting and reflection impulsivity. Chronic stimulant exposure impairs learning from prior premature responses, suggesting a failure to learn that premature responding is suboptimal. These findings provide a greater mechanistic understanding of waiting impulsivity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Volume19
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Addiction
  • Binge drinking
  • Impulsivity
  • Methylphenidate
  • Premature responding
  • Stimulant dependence

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Waiting impulsivity: The influence of acute methylphenidate and feedback'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this